FILE - In this undated photo provided by ABC, U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and husband Mark Kelly are interviewed by Diane Sawyer on ABC's 20/20. One year after being shot in the head, Rep. Gabrielle Giffords is on a mission to return to the job she so clearly loved. Her husband and people near the three-term congresswoman say she is highly motivated to recover from her injuries and get back to work in Washington, potentially using her inspirational story as a way to mend political differences in the nation's capital. She faces a May deadline to get on the November ballot, meaning she has a few months to decide her next step. (AP Photo/ABC, Ida Mae Astute) less

FILE - In this undated photo provided by ABC, U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and husband Mark Kelly are interviewed by Diane Sawyer on ABC's 20/20. One year after being shot in the head, Rep. Gabrielle Giffords ... more

Photo: Ida Mae Astute

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FILE In this June 12, 2011 photo, whos U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords. The signals are strong. One year after being shot in the head, Rep. Gabrielle Giffords is on a mission to return to the job she so clearly loved. Her husband and people near the three-term congresswoman say she is highly motivated to recover from her injuries and get back to work in Washington, potentially using her inspirational story as a way to mend political differences in the nation's capital. She faces a May deadline to get on the November ballot, meaning she has a few months to decide her next step. (AP Photo/southwestphotobank.com, P.K. Weis) MANDATORY CREDIT less

FILE In this June 12, 2011 photo, whos U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords. The signals are strong. One year after being shot in the head, Rep. Gabrielle Giffords is on a mission to return to the job she so clearly ... more

Photo: P.K. Weis

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FILE - In this Monday, Aug. 1, 2011 image from House Television, Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., center, appears on the floor of the House of Representatives, in Washington. The signals are strong. One year after being shot in the head, Rep. Gabrielle Giffords is on a mission to return to the job she so clearly loved. Her husband and people near the three-term congresswoman say she is highly motivated to recover from her injuries and get back to work in Washington, potentially using her inspirational story as a way to mend political differences in the nation's capital. She faces a May deadline to get on the November ballot, meaning she has a few months to decide her next step. (AP Photo/House Television) less

FILE - In this Monday, Aug. 1, 2011 image from House Television, Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., center, appears on the floor of the House of Representatives, in Washington. The signals are strong. One year ... more

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Giffords faces election decision

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WASHINGTON — One year after being shot in the head, Rep. Gabrielle Giffords is on a mission to return to the job she so clearly loved.

Her husband and people near the three-term congresswoman say she is highly motivated to recover from her injuries and get back to work in Washington, potentially using her inspirational story as a way to mend political differences in the nation's capital.

She faces a May deadline to get on the November ballot, meaning she has a few months to decide her next step.

Her future will depend on a recovery that has progressed in remarkable fashion over the past year as she is now able to walk and talk. Her only interview occurred with ABC's Diane Sawyer nearly 10 months after the shooting and showed how far she has come, but also how far she has to go. At the time, she did not speak in complete sentences and repeated her words to make her point.

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Jared Lee Loughner, 23, who has been diagnosed with schizophrenia, has pleaded not guilty to charges stemming from the mass shooting Jan. 8, 2011 outside a Tucson supermarket where Giffords was meeting with her constituents.

GIffords returned to Tucson on Friday from Houston to attend ceremonies to mark Sunday's one-year anniversary of the shooting that killed six and injured her and 12 others.

Her first stop was her office, where she participated in an emotional ceremony to honor slain staffer Gabe Zimmerman. Her staff dedicated a life-size photo of Zimmerman and a memorial plaque that will greet visitors as they arrive.

Events will take place throughout Sunday in Tucson, and Giffords is expected to attend at least one.

Giffords has cast one vote since the shooting. She surprised colleagues in August by returning to Washington to vote for legislation raising the nation's debt ceiling. The debate leading up to the vote had been among the most bitter and partisan of the year. On other votes, she is recorded as not voting.

Giffords' staff consults with her when working on major initiatives, such as trying to fend off the Air Force's efforts to move the 612th Air and Space Operations Center out of Tucson. The staff also works on individual constituent requests, such as helping war veterans and their widows obtain benefits or in securing a Tucson woman's flight out of Egypt during demonstrations in early 2011.

Aides say that Giffords now participates in teleconferences with members of her staff about once a week, though the call gets put off occasionally based on her schedule.

Giffords has captivated the nation as she recovers. Going into Christmas week, her office had received 24,880 letters from all over the world. Students from 428 schools mailed her get-well cards. Many well-wishers send her hand-made gifts, such as quilts, jewelry and paintings. People also send CDs with their favorite music and books with uplifting themes that they hope will cheer her up.

"Almost every day, we get more gifts" said Giffords' spokesman, Mark Kimble. "People routinely come in, asking if she's here and if they can talk to her."

On Capitol Hill, colleagues have held several fundraisers on her potential campaign's behalf, raising more than $800,000 between Jan. 1 and Sept. 30, a number that will surely grow when a new quarterly report is filed later this month.

The lawmakers say they're optimistic that she'll come back, but are sensitive about getting ahead of Giffords.

"She's making a lot of progress. She's doing great," Wasserman Shultz said. "She still has a long way to go."

Giffords has until May 30 to file nominating signatures to have her name placed on the ballot for Arizona's 8th Congressional District.

The bullet went through the left side of her brain, which has affected her right side. She walks with a limp and it's difficult for her to use her right arm.

Giffords' district is a swing district with nearly equal percentages of Republican and Democratic voters. Potential Republican challengers are awaiting her decision before committing to the race. If she doesn't run, multiple candidates are expected to enter the fray. If she opts to run, there will be less enthusiasm on their part because they know Giffords would be a heavy favorite.